Star Wars is undeniably one of the most expansive and beloved franchises in history, with so many different types of media spawned from the property that it's hard to keep track of them all. Star Wars video games have become almost as well-known as their big-screen inspirations, with titles spanning multiple genres, settings, and storylines. Newer releases like the action-adventure Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order have garnered praise for their combat and narrative approaches, but Star Wars also has a thriving online multiplayer community with titles like Star Wars: The Old Republic and the Battlefront series. There are no shortages of Star Wars games, both already released and currently in development, but that doesn't stop fans from speculating about new ones.
After Disney's acquisition of Star Wars, the multimedia giant has overseen the release of many new projects including several successful Disney Plus series. One of the most popular was undoubtedly The Mandalorian, which focused on an enigmatic bounty hunter and his young charge. Now, thanks to the show's positive reception, there are rumors that an MMO based on The Mandalorian series might be in the works. While this is all still speculation at this point, players have still started to imagine what the game could be, as well as what kinds of pitfalls it might encounter.
Breaking Down The Rumors
After EA's 10-year Star Wars exclusivity deal came to an end last year, renewed interest has sprung up around who would be taking on future Star Wars titles. Lucasfilm Games was established and developers like Quantic Dream and Massive Entertainment announced major new projects like Star Wars Eclipse and an open-world game set in the Star Wars universe. Despite many Star Wars games already on the horizon, recent rumors seem to suggest that fans might have one more on the way to scratch their sci-f itch.
If prominent leaker Nick Baker is to be believed, a Mandalorian MMO is being developed by Zenimax Online Studios as an Xbox exclusive. The Elder Scrolls Online developer has yet to confirm a Star Wars MMO, but a new Zenimax Online Studios IP is currently in the works. While there's not much concrete evidence that this is the Mandalorian-inspired game, the renewed interest in the show and the recent rumors have caused a lot of excitement among fans.
What A Mandalorian Game Could Entail
In a galaxy as varied and diverse as Star Wars, it takes a lot for characters to stand out. The clan-based cultural group of Mandalorians first rose to prominence after Boba Fett's memorable outings in the original Star Wars trilogy. The taciturn armored bounty hunter didn't need to be on-screen for long for fans to instantly raise him up as a cultural icon, and it seemed inevitable that the Mandalorians would move more into the spotlight at some point. Mandalorians have featured in multiple Star Wars properties over the years, but Disney's The Mandalorian really moved them to the forefront once more.
The series helped to shine a light on the residents of Mandalore and their adoptees, and catapulted characters like Din Djarin and his tiny pal Grogu into the popular culture. More of their interesting and complex society was explored, and the armoring-wearing group – who had always been fan favorites – featured even more prominently in the Star Wars canon. Mandalorians may have appeared in various Star Wars games in the past, but they haven't been the main focus of one yet. Given their intriguing culture, their made-for-combat aesthetics, and their legendary fighting prowess, they seem like shoo-in characters for a video game.
An MMO based on The Mandalorian certainly presents many exciting possibilities. The Space Western sensibilities of the series work well both narratively and as part of the Star Wars universe, and could make a cool Red Dead meets sci-fi mixture. The galaxy in Star Wars is vast and drenched in established lore, and has proved to be a great setting for an MMO already. Becoming a bounty hunter like the titular Mandalorian and exploring the various worlds seeking out marks would be a perfect structure for an MMORPG, and gives gamers plenty of opportunities to engage with the setting and write their own stories.
The Disadvantages It Could Face
The idea of an MMO based on The Mandalorian has a lot of points in its favor, but it could suffer from one major setback. Star Wars may be packed to the brim with fascinating aliens and cultures, but none have managed to dominate the cultural conversation quite like the Jedi. Their iconic weaponry and undeniably amazing abilities mean that they outshine every other faction in the galaxy in the opinions of a lot of fans, and there's a reason that almost every single piece of Star Wars media has focused on or at least featured them. While Jedi make an appearance in The Mandalorian, the series made a conscious move away from this aspect of the Star Wars universe, and it would be hard to imagine the game wanting to reverse this.
Some fans still lament the fate of Star Wars 1313, which was set to follow Boba Fett as he explored the subterranean levels of Coruscant. The canceled game was meant to be a mashup of bounty hunting and Uncharted, and despite being first revealed a decade ago, it still resurfaces every once in a while as players wonder what could have been. Although there were various reasons the game ended up never being completed, it's telling that the bounty hunter-focused title couldn't quite make it to release, especially given its reliance on cover-based shooting and weaponry over Force powers.
While some fans feel like Star Wars has become detrimentally fixated on the Jedi, Force powers are still among the most fun things in Star Wars games. Not only do they offer more options for character abilities, but they also look pretty cool and can feel ridiculously OP, particularly when facing a fellow Force-sensitive enemy. For better or worse, it's hard to imagine a Star Wars game without prominent Jedi characters, and if a Mandalorian MMO went ahead without them, it might feel a little lacking. It would also make it harder for the game to stand out against other action-orientated MMOs with similar combat, despite the vibrancy of its settings.